Of Temple Initiation and Screaming at the Moon

It felt like a trip I had to make.

During personal workings at her altar, Hecate made it known that the invitation was open – and I felt strongly pulled to the idea of travelling to the temple where her currents have been successfully, powerfully and permanently rooted into Belials flesh.

It felt like the final seal on all of the dedications and initiatory workings. Hecate instructed that it would facilitate the removal of a certain blockage I had been facing – allowing the currents of all four Trident Gods to flow through and encompass my entire being –restructuring the soul; propelling me to a whole new level of work. The request was made to the Gatekeeper of Her Mother Temple to ensure that the initiation was appropriate and accepted. With confirmation from both Gatekeeper and Hecate, I made the necessary arrangements for this pilgrimage.

Three weeks ago, I found myself walking up steep, stone steps to the Temple of the Four Pillars itself, deep within the Spanish Mountains. Accompanied by the Gatekeeper, I was about to undergo the powerful initiation held within the heart of this sacred place.

The Temple of The Four Pillars of Fire is aptly named. A large stone circular structure – the womb of the Goddess – is surrounded by four smaller stone circles, one for each of the Trident Gods, which are sunken into the ground. Sigils of the Arte adorn the temple’s aging stone walls, as sacrificial bones hang from branches above the archways – the entrances to each Pillar of Flame.

The Temple of Four Pillars of Fire

Due to the intensely personal nature of the rite, as well as ensuring the protection and due respect in regards to the Temple and its Gatekeeper, what can be shared is limited. Below I detail some of the ritual experience that occurred during this powerful initiation.

The rite began with entrance to the Womb of Hecate, facilitated through the western gate where bones hung low from the trees.

In the heart of the central vortex the Four Pillars of Fire were activated by its Gatekeeper, their powerful magical force swirling around temple circumference before entering the centre circle – the womb of Hecate.

With power vibrated through subtle and flesh incarnate bodies and blood offerings given upon temple seals, inner gateways were opened in the names of the Trident Gods, Demon Princes, Tassatowah and Temple Guardians. These beings did not just unite their power within the temple, but also within my own flesh and soul. The vortex quickened whilst we stood facing the Northern Wall of Belial, a stone face covered in his sigils, and the dominating form of the fetish lord, standing at the centre of the womb as its axis. It was here that the first pledges were made. As their power flowed into my being from each quadrant, oaths were taken to follow the Gods beyond the expiry of physical flesh.

I gave up my silver pentacle, an item of much sentimental value, tying it to the Fetish Lord as a gift. The Fetish Lord then became the focus of the rite, the possessed skull – dedicated as the Godhead of Lucifer – already bore offerings of my blood. When my ritual gift was placed upon the Fetish, the skull was again blooded.

At this point, kneeling before the Gods, sacrifice was given – the offering was made by the Gatekeeper. This sacred act of sacrifice granted to the Witch Gods sealed the pact, reifying their vast energy into my soul. The entire process intensified as the Gatekeeper drew the Mark of the Serpentine Trident upon my brow. As blood ran down my face, a crushing blackness flooded into my being. This was more powerful than anything I had ever previously experienced. The power rose rapidly, released from the sacrifice, into my being and up through the Fetish Lord. As the black energy transmuted within my being in a rapid alchemical process, I felt my soul energy becoming a pure stellar current – carried on the ascending spirit that was released from the sacrificial offering. A current of pure flame, ripped through my body – not pain but an intensely pleasurable feeling which filled my entire being with pure joy; an elation akin to the orgasm of the soul.

Art by Nox Enamor

When this overwhelming energy eventually settled, yet another journey was undertaken to one of the Pillars of Flame, to call Hecate in Godform assumption. While full possession was not achieved, Hecate made her presence known in a flash of energy, soothing my simmering soul energy as further invocations were made. Upon completion, when it felt time to return to the womb of Hecate, I was presented with the sacrificial bone of Belial. I was then informed that this amulet would unlock pathways and Dragon Lines that led to the heart of the Earth.

From a seated position I blooded the bone and closed my eyes. My vision was filled with swirling reptilian eyes. Belial was immediately present. The eyes danced across my field of perception, turning, swirling, opening and blinking in rapid succession. Belial spoke, his voice clear and authoritative, giving direct and powerful messages. He asked why I resisted him. I replied that it was not intentional, and asked for his guidance on the path. He related that my destination was not, as was customary with some Primal Craft intiations, to be the Devil’s Throne. Now was not my time for that particular journey, instead I was instructed to follow Belial into the depths.

After being dragged through the largest of the reptilian eyes I found myself falling through dark tunnels which, spiralling downwards, eventually gave way to damp earth and stone cavern structures which opened into a large, black cave. A powerful light emanated from an opening in the roof, bathing everything in a brilliant, golden light.

A figure wearing armour and a sword, manifested before me. The entity wore a green cloak and hood, which obscured its face, and had two gigantic white feather wings protruding from its back. The being was authoritative but seemed benevolent. With his sword he opened or created a vortex. The ground fell away to reveal a dark lake. Light poured in from a collapsed ceiling, but the source was not sunlight. It felt like we were tens of kilometres below what could be described as the surface, that somehow the light was being generated by a type of photo-luminescence. Around the rim sat eight stone skulls, water poured from their mouths feeding the dark lake below.

Dark Lake – Photographer unknown

At the centre of the lake lay a circular stone platform, connected a far wall by a stone walk way where a huge gabbro door was inset into similarly dark walls. At this point my body seemed composed of solid white flame. A huge sigil adorned the door. The glyph vibrated powerfully. It was illuminated by green, blue and golden white energies like dancing flames. I reached out to touch the glyph, but as I did so, I heard Belial whisper something unintelligible, like snake speech, and the vision dissolved; returning me to the ordinary blackness of closed eyes. I immediately recorded the sigil from the doorway and, exhausted, thanked Belial for his guidance. The rite was closed in love and honour. An offering of brandy was left for the Gods as an additional token of respect, and then we headed down from the mountain.

Over the coming days Hecate, in possession work, revealed the purpose of the gateway sigil. Using formula given during initiation it was carved in wood and opened in blood, unlocking its seals and pathways for further exploration. This process releases a powerful Elemental Familiar.

In later work this gate was successful merged with the Stellar Glyph of Lucifer – granted unto all who place their names in Hecate’s Book of Souls during initiation at the Mother Temple. A second seal was given and the mysteries further revealed. More work is to be undertaken, this time on the full moon, to seat the stellar currents that also flow into through these chthonic paths revealed upon this ongoing journey.